July 2013

July 31, 2013

Third-year guard Kevin Kowalski will be out at least two weeks with a leg injury, so he will miss playing in the first two preseason games.

Kowalski came out of Tuesday's practice. He had been playing with the first unit until the return of starter Nate Livings and backup Ron Leary this week.

Kowalski's absence now leaves the Cowboys with two linemen sidelined. Mackenzy Bernadeau, the starting right guard, is recovering from shoulder surgery in the offseason. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan said he was optimistic that Bernadeau could return next week.

The Cowboys signed defensive end Toby Jackson, who had thrown his name in the supplemental draft after being academically ineligible as a senior at Central Florida but went unselected. The Cowboys hope he can help get them through camp while Anthony Spencer recovers from knee surgery.

The Cowboys released defensive end Ike Igbinosun, who was hurt in camp last week.

Jackson was one of four players the Cowboys brought in for a workout on Tuesday. Before Central Florida, he played at Navarro Junior College. As a junior at UCF, he had 14 tackles, three for loss, and a blocked punt in nine games.

As the Cowboys had a chance to draft safety J.J. Wilcox,
they thought to themselves: Should we do this?

“We drafted a guy in the third round who was a running back
all until last year in college,” coach Jason Garrett said. “That was a huge
discussion we had before we drafted him – can he really do this, can he really
make this transition?”

The Cowboys decided to bet on it, and Wilcox – an
offensive-turned-defensive player at Georgia Southern – is making the
third-round pick look like a good investment. He has gotten the Cowboys’
attention with his hitting and aggressiveness. This week, he took first-team
snaps when starter Barry Church had to have tooth surgery.

“At all turns, he seems to be a really aware football
player,” Garrett said. “He’s learninig. He’s got physical traits both to defend
the run and play the back end. He’s the kind of guy you like to coach because
he loves football and plays hard.”

Wilcox remembers the adjustment. He had to go from running
back to safety, erasing three years of offensive habits.

“Looking at it from a defensive perspective, that was the
biggest adjustment for me,” he said. “I had to stay extra. Film room, I was in
there before the coaches and after the coaches, just trying to catch up, being
a senior defensive back, trying to get drafted and noticed by NFL scouts. So I had
to put in a lot of extra work. And my teammates and coach back in college did a
great job with that.”

July 30, 2013

Per a source, the Cowboys are expected to sign rookie
defensive tackle Toby Jackson to the roster on Wednesday to shore up the
injury-depleted defensive line.

The Cowboys need to make a roster move to clear room to
add Jackson.
Both moves should happen Wednesday.

Jackson got the nod after
being one of four players brought in for workouts on Tuesday. The others were defensive
end Eric Bakhtiari and defensive tackle Bobby Skinner and guard Rokevious
Watkins.

Jackson, academically
ineligible for his senior year at Central Florida,
put his name in the NFL supplemental draft in July but was not selected.

The needed reinforcements because of loss of defensive end
Cameron Sheffield for a couple of weeks with a groin injury at position that
was already without tackle Jay Ratliff (groin) and ends Anthony Spencer
(knee) and Tyrone Crawford
(season-ending Achilles surgery) and Ike
Igbinosun (ankle).

Jones said Bryant could practice if necessary but the
Cowboys are letting him take it easy because of the impressive show he put on
the first week of camp. He also says there is no reason to think that Bryant
won’t play in the preseason opener against the Dolphins Sunday.

“He can take it easy right now,” Jones said. “We got a lot
of days left. He is likely to get snaps (against the Dolphins)…very likely.
There has been no talk of him not getting snaps. It’s not a hip. It’s just a
tweak. He could be out there in a minute. We are just resting it. There has not
been a word of him not playing.”

The Cowboys got two offensive linemen healthy this week, but
they may have lost one.

Guard Kevin Kowalski left Tuesday’s practice with a leg
injury.

Offensive line coach Bill Callahan said after practice he
didn’t know how bad the injury was. It’s another challenge for a line that
began training camp without last year’s starting guards, Nate Livings and
Mackenzy Bernadeau, and a reserve guard, Ron Leary, because of injury.

Kowalksi had worked with David Arkin on the first team until
Livings and Leary returned this week. Callahan said Bernadeau, who had
offseason shoulder surgery, might be able to go next week.

The Cowboys worked out a guard before Tuesday's practice.

Callahan credited Arkin’s progress for bringing some
stability to the line. Arkin has not missed any practice.

“I like the progress that he’s made since he arrived in
camp,” Callahan said. “He makes incremental progress. It’s good to see him
focus on one technique and get better on a daily basis. I’m really proud of
him. He’s worked hard.”

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett has not decided whether
quarterback Tony Romo will play against the Miami Dolphins in Sunday's
preseason opener.

But if it comes down to anything like Tuesday’s practice
then look for Romo to finagle his way into a few snaps in the Hall of Fame
game.

In what was supposed to be a rest day as the team focused on short yard and goal line work, Romo talked his way
into full participation in practice.

“Initially he was not going to practice,” quarterbacks coach
Wade Wilson said in echoing the plan laid out by Garrett before practice. “But he
said I feel fine. I’m not going to do individual stuff and get full day off
tomorrow and possibly do 30 or 40 throws in all of practice.’ You like for him
to take care of his body. But you like that aggressive mentality with the team.
‘Hey if they are going to be out there I’m going to be out there.’ He didn’t
over do anything.”

Defense end DeMarcus Ware certainly took notice and said
Romo’s attitude will go a long way in the locker room.

“You know what a guy like Romo that’s what we need to see –
a guy who’s out there working when he shouldn’t be working and doing what he
needs to do when he doesn’t have to,” Ware said. “That carries over into the
game. Sometimes there are some adverse times in the game to where you don’t
want to get out there and do it, but you get out there and do it and not just
for yourself. You do it for your teammates.”

Garrett wanted to give Romo the day off, hoping to combine that with the
scheduled off day on Wednesday to give him some much needed rest that could prove
beneficial down the road.

Garrett, however, made it clear that there are no concerns
or issues with Romo's health and certainly nothing related to the back surgery
that sidelined him during the off season. He started out camp a little rusty because
of the time off but has gotten better and more polished every day.

“I think he’s made great progress each and every day,”
Garrett said. “I think you just see it. Like with a lot of guys in your first
day at camp, there’s a little rust that you have. Your feet always aren’t
underneath you whatever position you play and you’re just kind of feeling your
back into football. I think Tony had some of that. But each and every day
throughout camp, he’s gotten better and better and better. I think his feet are
much better. I think he’s moving more naturally and instinctively. Again, that
happens with everybody when you start playing football again every year. It was
noticeable to me that he’s just improving each and every day.”

Wilson agreed that Romo has had a real good start to camp
but most importantly is developing chemistry with the three rookies _ center
Travis Frederick, receiver Terrance Williams and tight end Gavin Escobar _ that
he was missed in the off season.

“Missing the spring, you always want to come back out and
get that work,” Wilson
said. “The main thing is getting chemistry
with Frederick with
Escobar with Williams, getting those guys on the same page. And being out there
explaining what is expected out of them. His camp has been solid.”

As the Cowboys’ first preseason game approaches, each of
their top four picks has taken or is taking first-team snaps.

Travis Frederick has been the No. 1 center since he was
drafted, but now, in part because of injury, second-round pick Gavin Escobar is
playing with the 1s at tight end, third-round pick Terrance Williams is in at a
receiver spot and fellow third-round pick J.J. Wilcox is paired with Will Allen
at safety.

At least three of the four are likely to be in the starting
lineup when the Cowboys play Miami
in the Hall of Fame Game on Sunday.

“I don't find that remarkable at all,” Cowboys coach Jason
Garrett said of how the top four picks have been elevated. “I think what you
try to do, before you draft a player, is you try to have a vision for them.
What does this guy do best? What are some of his weaknesses? What is his role in
year one? What is his role in year two? What can he grow into? What is his
upside?”

Wilcox was expected to move back to second-team safety once
Barry Church returned from a toothache. But Escobar and Williams could remain
with the 1s for a few more days as they fill in for James Hanna (hamstring) and
Dez Bryant (hip).

“You certainly want more from them as quickly as you can get
from them,” Garrett said. “I think their approach has a lot to do with their
success and their ability to function in practice so far.”

Garrett then gave a quick evaluation of each of the Cowboys’
seven picks.

“Travis Frederick has been essentially the starting center
for us since the first snap of the first OTA. I think he’s handled it really
well. He has a chance to be a really good football player. He’s still learning
a lot, technically in what we’re asking him to do. But he brings it every day.
He’s the right kind of guy. He’s smart and tough. Wants to get better every
day.

“Escobar has grown before our eyes. A long way off, but you
see him gaining confidence, playing fast and playing with some snap and
decisiveness. He’s a natural pass catcher, and he’s learning how to block. He
has to get stronger. We know that. But he’s shown some versatility playing a
lot of different spots.

“Terrance Williams, again, is growing before our eyes. I
keep using this word confidence, but you see these guys gaining confidence.
They’ve seen the instillation in the spring. They saw it again in the mini-camp,
and now they’ve seen it for a third time. It’s starting to sink in with them.
They’ve been in these situations before. And you’re starting to see them take
advantage of them.

“Wilcox, we’ve talked about a lot. We like the demeanor he
plays with. He’s learning the defensive system. He’s getting better. He
understands what his landmarks are, and what his assignments are. But he brings
it every day. He’s got a physical nature to him that we really, really like.

“B.W. Webb, I think is really improving as well. He made a
big play in the scrimmage the other day. He had an interception and returned it
in one of those end-of-the-game type situations. Again, same kind of process
they’re going through. Sometimes they’re eager. And then it’s, ‘Where is this
quickness, and where is his explosiveness?’ I think it has a lot to do with
what we’re asking him to do and playing with confidence.

“Joseph Randle was the only guy who wasn’t really active for
us in the spring, with the thumb. We talked about him being engaged with our
team. He’s done a good job in training camp.

“DeVonte Holloman, what we saw on tape in college is what
we’re beginning to see here on the practice field. Athletic guy, rangy guy can
really run to the football. Has a nose for the football. He’s learning. He’s
getting better every day. The approach of each of these guys is been really
good. They want to get better. They want to be a member of this team. They want
to have a role on this football team. So collectively, I think they’ve done
well one week into camp.”